Dog food market rising double digit

Indian dog food companies are likely to clock a double digit growth in sales in current fiscal and this growth trajectory is expected to continue in the coming years too, an industry official said.

"While the world pet food market is worth $65.8 billion and registered a 4% growth, the Indian pet food market has been showing a rapid growth.

As per Euro Monitor, it has a market size of Rs 368 crore as of 2011," said Awral Beri, the founder of Kennel Kitchen, a dog food brand of Gitwako Farms (I) Pvt Limited.

Beri said that as per Pet Food Market Assessment 2013, the sector in India is witnessing double-digit growth, well ahead of the global market, and is expected to continue its rally in coming years.

Kennel Kitchen launched its products pan-India this year, and are getting good response.

Beri stated that packaged food is generally safe for pets but an important factor to consider is the kind of packaging.

"For example, at Kennel Kitchen, our dog food is packed using aseptic processing in a four-layer pouch made up from multiple layers of flexible laminate that allows for sterile packaging," he said.

Beri said: "This is the same technology that has been developed by defence Food Research Laboratories and is used by Nasa to provide food in space.

"There has been meticulous research that has gone into ensuring that we can offer a product with longer shell life, without any artificial preservatives and a diet which is high in energy, protein, vitamins and minerals derived from natural sources," Beri said.

As people get more aware about the ingredients and processes of dog food manufacturing, they shall make more informed choices about the food they feed their dogs, he added.